What is trust?

Jacqueline - Trust is being able to put faith in someone else, or something, some idea that you have I guess. I don’t think I’ve found a lot of trust in my life so… I think for me it’s more an ideology than something that truly exists. In the same way that you might say that true love exists, it’s something that’s perhaps fictional to a degree in my opinion.

What does it mean to be a woman?

Jacqueline - To be a woman… disadvantaged to an extent, constantly having to prove yourself, to be paid less, to be like a second-class citizen. But also to be caring, to be loving, compassionate and to be able to create life.

"I'm grateful for life"

Jacqueline

What do you hide from yourself or others?

Jacqueline - Anxiety. I hide it a lot. I don’t know if I’m very good at it, but I do try. And also, sadness. I hide it a lot from others, I mainly use humor (badly) to hide my sadness and fear as I don’t want others to feel sorry for me or realise that there's nothing they can do to help. I think that the late comic genius Robin Williams explains what I’m trying to say in the following quote much better than I can -

“I think the saddest people always try their hardest to make people happy because they know what it’s like to feel absolutely worthless and they don’t want anyone else to feel like that.”

Robin Williams

What is your inner strength? Something you believe in?

Jacqueline - My resilience. I’ve found ways to cope with a lot over the years. I believe wholeheartedly that you only get one shot at life and that you should do your best to really live it.

What are you grateful for?

Jacqueline - I’m grateful everyday I wake up in the morning. I’m grateful that I can walk and talk. I’m grateful for my family. I’m grateful for the things I’ve seen in the world, the experiences I’ve had, the people I’ve met, the relationships I’ve had, even the bad ones. I’m grateful for food, oh God the joys of food. I’m grateful for good wine and for nicotine. I’m grateful for magnificent sunsets and sunrises, swimming, music, laughter, dancing, literature, art, film, technology and science, women's rights, the beauty in nature ….. the list goes on! Life, let’s just say that I’m grateful for my life, the good parts, the bad parts, the beautiful and ugly because without one, I wouldn’t appreciate the other.